I left New Zealand mid-2003, bound for Istanbul and a new lif. After two years, a Belgian guy lured me into his world, deep in the heart of Europe. For a long time I was an in-process immigrant. One day we married. These days it's about photography, a little red wine and wandering ... and so the journey goes.

Friday, August 04, 2006

About that day out with the EOS

One of the things I most loved about heading out to the pony camp was that all of my favourite photographic subjects were there in abundance and they soon forgot about that woman with the camera.

There were more than 10 horses, 4 dogs, 4 cats and at least 7 children aged 5-12.

293 photographs later and I was exhausted but so sublimely happy.

Some of the images are pure magic ... the 5 year boy hitching up his pale blue jodpurs while walking ahead of me on his way to feed the chickens; the 11 year old girl with a hen in her arms, held much the same way as a cat would be held ... the hen becomes a delicious orange surprise.

There's the image of the tiny golden pony captured in a 'rodeo moment', complete with 10 year old girl on his back as he puts his head down to run, anything to avoid jumping a pole. I photographed horses play-fighting ... biting each other, eyes rolling, teeth bared, and another called Kafka having a joyous roll in the mud.

Favourites ... ?So many.

Today it's all about trams, buses and cars, then a pony cart as I head back to take group photos of the kids after a week of horses and tents, and to deliver each child's cd full of images.

The work made my heart sing and for a little while it was good to forget about the pain abroad in the world in these days.

I hope all is good in your worlds ...

Till later.

Postscript: I forgot to mention the rain, grey skies and wind ... ahhh Belgie, how do I love thee?

Ik ook manic, and I particularly enjoyed this rain after spending so long in high temps with mosquitoes.

Ya know what ... I'd love to become a photographer for a living. Let's see what happens.

It was paris parfait. My photo can go online as soon as I have a copyright signature across them :)

I finally asked my photographer friend what all the fuss was about and she said that people not only download your photographs to use for whatever they like, but one guy actually went so far as to sell stolen images in stock photo libraries ... so I've decided to take her advice, finally.